SABINE'S SNIPE. 23 



From an article in the eighth volume of Mr. London's 

 Magazine of Natural History, there is reason to believe 

 that another example of this rare Snipe has occurred in 

 Lancashire ; but, singular as it may appear, this species 

 does not seem even yet to have fallen into the hands of any 

 naturalist out of the British Islands, and all that is known 

 of the bird, or its habits, is contained in the notices here 

 cited. On the 5th of March of the year 1845, another 

 specimen was shot on Appledram common, about two miles 

 south of Chichester. A. E. Knox, Esq., of New Grove, 

 near Petworth, obtained this bird for his own collection, 

 and sent me notice of the occurrence. One was killed in 

 Ireland, in January, 1853, and four specimens of this rare 

 Snipe are preserved in the Museum of the Dublin Uni- 

 versity. 



The beak is dark brown at the point, paler reddish brown 

 at the base ; irides dark brown ; upper part of the head, the 

 back of the neck, back, scapulars, wing-coverts and tertials, 

 dusky brown, each feather varied by narrow transverse 

 bands of pale yellow brown, which are less numerous on 

 the back than over the wings ; primary quill-feathers dull 

 black, with black shafts ; upper tail-coverts greyish brown ; 

 tail-feathers with the basal half black, the terminal half 

 chestnut brown, spotted and barred with black ; the two 

 centre feathers have rather more, and the outer feathers 

 rather less of black than the others ; chin, neck, breast, and 

 all the under parts of the body, a mixture of dull brown 

 and pale yellow brown, in alternate narrow bars over the 

 whole surface ; legs and toes very dark chestnut brown, 

 claws black. 



The whole length is about eleven inches ; the beak two 

 inches five-eighths, or three- quarters ; from the carpal joint 

 to the end of the first quill -feather, which is the longest in 

 the wing, five inches. 



